Okay, so here's my take on Free Agency thus far:
Jacksonville, I have no idea what you are trying to do. They've traded for Troy Williamson, signed Jerry Porter, traded away Marcus Stroud. So, unless they are going to start running 5 WR sets, I really can't call them winners. Most importantly because they traded away Stroud for 60 cents on the dollar. He would have been part of a stud rotation of DT's. I'll call it incomplete for now, but I don't get it.
Minnesota, you overspent big time in free agency...again. Look, I know they signed G Steve Hutchinson a few years ago, and that was a great signing, but the 2 big ones so far this year don't make a whole bunch of sense to me. Madieu Williams is now one of the highest paid safeties in the league, and I think the Vikings have let Corey Chavous go....Cincinnati didn't want Williams anymore, so why make him one of the highest paid guys in the league? And then they overspent on Bernard Berrian. The guy doesn't have reliable hands, is great on the "go" route, and that's about it. He's an overpaid Bethel Johnson. Yes, you took him away from a division rival, but you already have Sidney Rice, who you should've given a chance to be your #1 guy. He's got the skills, look at what happened when you put him on the field last year. The signing of FB Thomas Tapeh and letting go of Tony Richardson is a slight upgrade, only because Tapeh knows the system from being with Head Coach Brad Childress in Philly and Richardson is 36, not a whole lot of tread left on those tires.
Ah, Cincy....when will it ever start? First, news comes out this week that there actually was a punch thrown by Ocho Stinko at HC Marvin Lewis in their last playoff game, about 3 years ago. Nice....I'm seriously telling anyone who will listen, until that guy is off the team, they won't win a damn thing. Losing him would be the definition of "addition by subtraction". They let Justin Smith go, which is fine, he was overpaid to do nothing. Also let Madieu Williams go. Fine. But to sign Antwan Odom and not try and get anyone to patch up the middle of that piss-poor run D? Plenty of able bodies out there, and they do nothing.
Big Ben's contract. I'll just say that while it looks huge right now, give it 3 years and it will be peanuts. The salary cap keeps going up and up and up. I don't mind the contract...but who's going to block for the guy???
Cleveland has done great, as far as I'm concerned. On paper, vastly improved. Trading for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams will be a very wise day to be looked upon down the road. I can only hope that HC Romeo Crennel can light a fire under Rogers. If he can, we're talking top 5 in the league type DT. And the Browns have also managed to re-sign Jamal Lewis and Derek Andersen. Then add Donte Stall worth. Their 3-wide attack will look like Jamal Lewis in the backfield with Braylon Edwards and Stallworth on the outsides, Joe Jurevicius in the slot and Kellen Winslow at TE. I don't know of a defense in that division that could handle it. Right now, provided everyone stays healthy, they are my pick to win the division and host a playoff game. Oh, how much fun will that be in Cleveland??!
As far as the Patriots are concerned, I love this whole "the sky is falling" from certain media types, some especially on the Worldwide Leader. They lost Samuel, they lost Gay, they cut Colvin, Stallworth left, what's going to happen? Well, they did keep that Randy Moss fella, and he's pretty damn good. As for the rest, let me first state that the Pats keep doing what they do, and do it well because their front office assigns a value to each position. It's why they let Lawyer Milloy go a few years ago, and Ty Law, too. Asante was only going to get so much from New England, so they let him go. My only gripe with it is Samuel stating in his press conference in Philly that he just wanted to go back to a Super Bowl? Really? Then why not try and tough it out with a team that just went 18-1? Or why go to Philly, the only team in the NFC East not to make the playoffs? Just say it's all about the money, we get it. As for losing Gay, please, I like him, but he could never stay on the field, he's consistently hurt. Stallworth was on a one year deal, he did well, we appreciate the services, but the Pats have Chad Jackson waiting in the wings. He'll be coming off of a torn ACL in last years AFC Championship game, so he ought to be ready to prove why the Pats spent a 2nd round pick on him a couple of years ago. As for Rosie, I loved him, but he kept getting hurt, too. And not the nagging type of injuries...He busted his hip a few years ago, and broke his foot this year. Besides, the Pats don't need another LB over 30.
The Pats won't break any other points record next year, and they may even go 13-3 (Heaven forbid), but there's a plan in place. I think that they will take a DE/OLB hybrid with that #7 pick, maybe Vernon Gholston from Ohio State...and if that's the case, losing Rosie won't be a loss at all.
Quickly, an NCAA update. I hope the 'Cuse is in, Indiana looks terrible and damn near certain to be bounced in the 1st round of the tourney, and my shocking/notsomuch pick to make the Elite 8 is Vanderbilt. Just a big dougnut gut feeling.
As for news...well, if this ol' world ain't getting a little bit more F'ed up every damn day....
Thank God I'm bald, or else I might've been dumb enough to let this bitch cut my hair!
Not sure how I feel about this, but I will say that someone in Boulder, CO finally may have said something halfway intelligent. Is this a damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of argument? I really don't have the foggiest idea, but it's something that needs to be discussed. I don't think they have this type of problem in other countries. Granted, those other countries have their own messed up crap to deal with, but is underage drinking one of them? And I'm sure someone has done a study on what has really happened since the drinking age has gone from 18 to 21, but I'd like to know the amount of underage fatalities...that's just me.
Why am I not hearing about this until I find it for myself? This is nowhere on the news!!! See what happens when criminals shoot at schools when someone else is armed? Less loss of life. Bet those kids at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois would want to know about this.
In other news, I have a few job interviews lined up, so I'm hoping someone realizes how freakin' awesome I am and hires me. I won't ask for your prayers, but if you put me in them, thanks. The reason I don't ask is because you've got your own stuff to deal with.
I did an open mic night a few days ago, and it went pretty well. Well enough that I'm going back, how's that? I wasn't the best one there, but I know I wasn't the worst. I suppose I should take this a little more seriously and try and write some stuff out instead of trying to go up and wing it. That does not work out so well. I feel for those who got stage-fright, there really is nothing you can do other than support them. I've been there, it's real lonely. Amazing what a 12-inch platform does to us, huh? I'll keep this blog posted with what happens, kind of when it happens.
And lastly, if the NYC police department finds that little bastard on a bike who bombed the military recruitment office in Times Square, I say string him up by his balls and gut him right in public. I'm done with so called 'activists' doing whatever the hell they want without recourse. It's about time to pay the piper.
Happy Week coming up to all...and remember, St. Patty's Day is just around the bend.....
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